Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
PETITION FROM PUBLIC MEETING HELD ON 29TH SEPTEMBER 1999
We the undersigned being citizens of Westminster, who either live and/or work in the city, wish to protest at the continuing decline in the amenity of the centre of our city caused by: the relentless increase in the number of food and drink premises of all types, the rapid increase in late night licences, the increasing noise levels at all hours, the filth and rubbish on the streets, the aggressive begging and the alarming spread of drug dealing. Many of these issues were identified in the Council's Stress Areas reports of 1993 and 94. Since then the situation has only got worse.
To counter the above, we petition the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Home Secretary, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Chairmen of the Westminster Licensing Justices, as appropriate to adopt the following:
TEN POINT PLAN
| 1.Keep Our Streets Clean - Devote sufficient resources on a continuing basis to clean our streets properly, collect rubbish, deter aggressive beggars and clampdown on fouling the streets with a demonstrably improved system in place by April 2000. | WCC |
| 2.Control Noise - Adopt policies which reduce noise late at night progressively back to the target figure of 35DBA by 2004. | WCC |
| 3.Eliminate Drug Dealing On Our Streets - Use the Crime and Disorder Act to put in place policies by 2001 to have eliminated all street drug dealing. | WCC/Police |
| 4.Control Tables and Chairs - Review tables and chairs licensing to prevent them spilling all over the pavement and being used late at night, with a new system in place by January 2000. | WCC |
| 5.Prevent Saturation By Pubs, Bars and Restaurants - Set in place a supplementary planning guidance policy by January 2000 restricting further A3 uses in certain areas to prevent further saturation and protect residential amenity. Plus write effective policies into the revised Unitary Development Plan to do the same. | WCC |
| 6.Stop Granting Later and Later Licences - Put in place policies by January 2000 to refuse late night licences after 1.00 am unless the applicant can prove in an environmental impact assessment that there will be no adverse effects. Review existing late night licences and do not renew those causing a nuisance. | WCC |
| 7.Don't Grant Licences Unless the Premises Have All Proper Consents - Court clerks should liase with planning officers, environmental health officers, police and fire officers to ensure that magistrates have all relevant consents and a record of any past performance brought to their attention before considering an application. Council officers to do the same for WCC licences. | WCC/Justices |
| 8.Monitor and Enforce the Rules - Immediately devote sufficient resources in terms of manpower and support services to monitor and enforce adherence to the terms and conditions of their various licences by premises which have previously been approved. Refuse renewals where there are substantial breaches. | WCC/Police |
| 9.Properly Penalise Those Breaking the Rules - Impose appropriate penalties so that those who hold licences have respect for the law and abide by the rules, conditions or undertakings which are part of their licences. | WCC/PoIice/Home Office |
| 10.Make the Case For Action - Vigorously and skilfully set out the need for, explain and defend such policies to the press and general public and at appeal hearings. | ALL |
We ask the above individuals to note our strong concern on all of these matters. We ask them to meet the clear and transparent targets we have set and report back to us on their progress within a year at the latest.
We petition the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Home Secretary, the Metropolitan Policy Commissioner and the Chairmen of the Westminster Licensing Justices to respond to the resolution carried at the Public Meeting at the Westminster Council House on Wednesday, 29th September 1999.
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